The best orchids to go for

[gravotrope]

dendrophylax are amazing. no real leaves or bulb, just scales and a bunch of green roots...this is why they take so long to get to blooming size. I wouldn't recommend them to someone in southern california because they are difficult high humidity plants...all the dendrophylax I've seen at shows disappear by noon on the first day of the show, so if you really want one you have to be one of the first people there and know who is selling them.

ever hear of fredclarkeara? Also I think a cymbidiella falcigera would be great... but unless you can call the vendors and ask what they are bringing, you need to have a huge list of the ones you'd like to have, and hope to maybe find only a few.

[AnonYMouse]

Ten Shin Gardens will be there. I got my B. contortisepalum (I'm really exited about this little guy) from them. They had a good selection at POE.

Ecuagenera's selection was smaller than last year's at POE but not sure that will be the case in SB. My experience with their plants have been so-so. They tend to be rather too sterilely grown for me and have to be coddled IMO.

Do you already have angrecoids? Most don't seem to be fussy and they have unphal-like, uncatt-like blooms.

Some Aussie and PNG natives are pretty unusual looking.

[Orchidreamer]

I used to dislike phals with a passion but now I'm finding myself head over heels over some unusual species phals.

You can try Pleiones, if you can find them for sale. They're one of my favorite mini orchids.

If you're into leafless orchids, you can try Chiloschista's (Asian leafless orchids) if you're not up for the more challenging Dendrophylax.

Here are some more off the top of my head.
Coelogyne species (C. mooreana is my favorite of the genus)
Epigeneium lyonii (this was love at first sight)
Dendrobium species like unicum, trantuanii, harveyanum, just to name a couple

[Kevinator]

Stray59: Yes I have tried bulbo's before. I currently have a bulbo. maxillaire which refuses to put out flowers .

ovanoshio: Great suggestions! I do have RO water (this stuff really expands my possibilities). I tried Draculas and Madevaillias, but I lost them over vacation . Also, Gongora doesn't work well for me (the one I have is struggling to survive and growths don't really grow above 2 inches), Stanhopea works moderately, and surprisingly, Coryanthes does well here indoors!

[Rowangreen]

Did you see my post last page? Wondering if you missed it...

[Kevinator]

Rowan, I think I might want to look out for the Lycaste. I think I'll skip ghost orchids and Hunttleya. Well, I'm off now! I'll notify all of you when I'm back.

[Rowangreen]

Have a good time! Look out for a Chysis too. Be nice to have a few folks around growing them!

[gravotrope]

Because of this thread, I went friday and got a Dendrophylax funalis and schombergkia brysiana x schomburgkia grandiflora hybrid at the 11th annual IOF at Fairchild botanic garden, but I probably should have just gotten a Chiloschista and arranged to have a vendor bring the cyrtopodium punctuatum instead. I did however take some amazing photos, met some of the local professors propagating native species, and even spotted a huge flowering cyrtopodium punctuatum in a tree next to a vendor. I really wanted one of those, but had to settle for a Jamaican ghost instead!

Then I looked at the climate data for Jamaica days average below 90F, nights average above 70F. I will be moving it around a lot. The guy I bought it from said the general knowledge is to treat them like a cattleya, but that he cultured them like outdoor phals and they really thrived. summers here should be fine....winters I will have to move it around.

I almost got a coleogyne pandurata, too...it looked like the cymbidella I was saving room for, but is apparently easier to grow.

[Kevinator]

Well, I'm back! (actually I was back yesterday)
Here are the orchids (pictures will come later):

Oncidium 'Tsiku Marguerite'
Bulbo. rothschildianium
Miltonia sp.
Burr. Nelly Isler 'Swiss Beauty'
Gastrochilus bellinus
Epidendrum Sunlight Valley 'Kagaribi'
Blc. Karbela Beauty 'Song of Canary'
Vanilla planifolia
Acropera (Gongora) galeata

[Rowangreen]

Sounds like a good list. Will look forward to pics.